


Put a Ring On It

by Artemis_Day



Series: Zutara Week [5]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Accidental Marriage, Candles, Coffee, Dragons, F/M, Fever, Marriage, Marriage Proposal, Marriage of Convenience, Memories, Proposals, Reincarnation, Zutara Week, Zutara Week 2016, lilac
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-08-20
Packaged: 2018-08-08 18:48:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,892
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7769044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Artemis_Day/pseuds/Artemis_Day
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What is the best way to propose marriage?  That's a question many people have asked themselves, and Zuko and Katara are no exceptions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dragons

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Zutara Week, everyone! Man, the year goes by fast.
> 
> For the last two years, all my Zutara Week entries have had a running theme in addition to the prompts. In 2014 the theme was 'alternate universe'. In 2015, the theme was 'Hitchcock movies'. This year's theme is 'weddings and proposals'. So all my entries this year will feature a different kind of marriage or proposal trope. From accidental marriage to a now or never proposal. I hope you all enjoy them and have a wonderful week buried in Zutara awesomeness.
> 
> Let's begin!

"So where are we going again?"

Katara swerved around a street lamp as Zuko's fervor in dragging her to wherever they were going almost caused her to smack into it.

"It's a surprise," Zuko said for the hundredth time. That had not been a good enough answer the first time, so she didn't know why he thought it would work now.

"Why can't you just tell me what the surprise is?" she asked. She then had to dodge a blind man standing on the curb. "At least give me a hint."

"It's something special," said Zuko. "Something you'll like."

"Oh, that helps."

"Just come on."

He wasn't really giving her a choice in the matter. Katara had stopped trying to pry his fingers off her wrist. His grip was too strong and he made it clear as he led them around another corner that he wouldn't be letting up any time soon. Wherever he was taking her, in the dead of night while everyone else was fast asleep like they should have been, had better be spectacular. If not, the first thing he'd be getting was a face full of water, following closely by a very stern talking to.

And then he could walk back alone.

It would serve him right.

"I still don't understand why we couldn't do this during the day," Katara muttered.

"It's better at night. We'll have more privacy." His steps faltered as he spoke, as if he didn't realize how that could be interpreted until the words were already out of his mouth.

Katara resisted the urge to smile, but it was hard not to. It was no secret to her that her boyfriend was handsome. Even if he wasn't the Fire Lord, she'd probably have to deal with at least a few crazies thinking they could steal him away from her. But handsome as he was, he was even more adorable, especially blushing like this.

"I thought we said we weren't ready for that," she remarked. She couldn't help it. She had to prod him at least a little.

"Th-that's not what we're doing. This is something different."

He hid his face in the shadows, as if that would help him keep up an enigmatic, mysterious air. They moved along to a more lively area. Some people did stay up this late after all. Most of them were on the curb, bunched together and singing drunkenly over a fire. They called out to Zuko and Katara like old friends. Katara feared for a moment that they'd been recognized, but then the group gave a passing beggar woman the same jovial greeting.

They moved away from the festivities. The springy string music soon faded as the crickets returned to serenade them. The woods were deeper this far out, the trees tall and lush with leaves. Waves crashed against the shore over a cliffside. The full moon shined overhead in a cloudless sky. It was invigorating to be so close to her element, more connected to it then she would be for the rest of the month. Zuko kept to the path least shaded, and Katara sighed happily in the moonlight. She squeezed Zuko's hand and the heat of his skin warmed her. If she had it her way, they'd be in bed right now, Katara in her nightclothes and Zuko bare chested, so that she could press into his muscled form and let the fire deep within him wash over her.

"We're almost there," he said. "Just a little further."

The cliff's edge was in view, jutting out of the mountainside like a gnarled finger. It didn't look sturdy enough to hold their weight, but Zuko was unconcerned as he brought them all the way to the top, just short of the narrow tip and certain death. The nearest tree was all the way behind them, and a flock of birds rested on the branches, their eyes following the couple.

"Is this it?" Katara asked. She didn't mean to sound insensitive, but it was really late and the temperature dropped significantly at this altitude.

"This is a place my mother used to bring me when we vacationed here," Zuko said. "She'd bring me here on the full moon, and she'd tell me the story of how my great great grandfather proposed to my great great grandmother right here on this cliff. She said that a den of dragons used to live nearby, and that night, all the dragons came out to fly together. My grandmother called it the most romantic night of her life, and she spent years embroidering a tapestry of the dragons to capture the moment. She died before she could finish it, but my mother's family has kept it ever since."

"That's a beautiful story," Katara said. She took Zuko by the hand, rubbing his knuckles.

"That's why I wanted to do this here," said Zuko. He took a deep breath. "Katara, you are the most incredible person I've ever known, and I know that we got off to a rough start all those years ago, and sometimes, I can't believe that you've really forgiven me for what I've done."

 _'It's all in the past,'_ she wanted to say, but she couldn't. Her throat had closed and her lungs constricted. She knew what was about to happen and it made her heart race with excitement.

"So, I wanted to do this somewhere special, even though I don't think any dragons will be coming…" Katara giggled, less at what he said and more at the way he said it. "I still want this to be a night we'll never forget."

He dug through his pocket, and what he withdrew was closed up in his fist, but for a strip of dark blue ribbon hanging out from between his thumb and index finger.

"I made this for you," he said, "because I want to be with you like this forever. I want to ask you, Katara, if you would be my-"

Two things happened at once. Zuko's hands were shaky and moist, and the betrothal necklace slipped between sweaty fingers to land on the ground. The thud was drowned out by a shrill screech right by their ears. One of the birds must have abandoned its flock and come to get a closer look at them. The shine of the necklace as it hit the ground drove it into a frenzy. It took off into the air, the smooth blue stone clasped in its talons. Zuko's jaw fell and he stood frozen long enough for the bird to gain some distance.

"Get back here!" Zuko took off in a dead run, faster than Katara ever knew he was capable of. "I worked for two weeks to carve that! You stupid bird!"

He chased it out of sight, and Katara took off after him. She caught him trying to climb a tree deep in the woods, where the bird had taken up residence on one of the tallest branches. It looked down on them, the necklace dangling from its mouth, eyes wide and red. Its head was tilted, almost like it was mocking them.

Zuko growled and summoned a fireball, but the flames were prematurely dowsed when Katara wrapped her arms around him from behind.

"He'll probably drop it," she said. "Just give him a minute."

"If he doesn't, I'm burning this tree to the ground."

Katara rolled her eyes. She moved in front of him, her hands on his chest as she stood up on tiptoes.

"Just so you know," she whispered in his ear, "my answer is yes."

His shoulders slumped and he gawked at her. His palm was open and ready for another burst of fire, and it was a good thing it was, as the bird got bored and released the necklace into the safety of Zuko's hand.

The story they'd tell their children about this night wouldn't be very romantic, and it wouldn't include any dragons, but as Zuko had hoped, it would be memorable.


	2. Reincarnation

Someone knocked on the door, and then it opened, revealing Ming with a bundle of envelopes and scrolls in her arms.   **  
**

“Got today’s mail, Ma’am,” she said.  She placed the pile of papers onto Korra’s desk, working them into neat-ish stacks of ten or twenty.  A couple slipped and fell to the floor, and Ming hastened to pick them up and make another stack out of them.

“Did you filter out the junk?” Korra asked.

“Yes, Ma’am.  This is what’s left.”

She’d been afraid of that.  Ever since she’d been advised to open up a special mailing address for invitations and requests, she’d been getting them by the truckload.  Most of them were for weddings or baby showers, people who wanted her to bless their growing families.  Nine out of ten, she’d have no time to answer.  They would get a pre-written response promising that the Avatar would speak for them before the spirits, even though she couldn’t be there in person.  She never liked doing that.  It felt cold and detached to just send off a form letter and move on.  The dumb thing wasn’t even her work.  The one she wrote had been rejected by her last assistant as ‘too informal’ and ‘slightly juvenile in style’.  Whatever that means.

As if anyone more than twenty years younger than her had any business telling her what was or wasn’t childish.  She was in her nineties, for La’s sake.  Most of these morons were barely adults themselves.  What did they know about anything?

“I’ve looked through a few,” Ming said.  “It’s just more of the same, new babies and marriages.  There are a few asking for help with land deals and internal disputes, and at least one appears to have been written by a child.”

Korra stared at her.  “A child?”

“She wants you to, and I quote ‘scare away the meanie boys who keep stealing my candy’.  Unquote.”

Ming didn’t bother to hide her smile, so neither did Korra, as she found the letter in question easily among the professionally written ones and set it aside.

“I think I’ll be answering that one myself.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“I wish you wouldn’t call me that, Ming.  Makes me feel old.”

There was an appropriate way to respond to a ninety year old woman worried about her age, and Ming was smart enough not to do it.  She bowed and walked back to her desk outside the door.  Korra let out a breath and dipped backwards in her chair, inhaling deeply through her nose.  After ten minutes of this, her nose was still twitching, and her fingers tense.  She had spent decades perfecting various meditation techniques; she could be completely calm in the center of a firestorm if she had to be.  Today just seemed to be an off day for her.  It happened more and more as she got older.  Used to be she’d have someone sleeping next to her to hold her and release all the tension with a healing touch.  

Now that she was a widow, she’d have to move on to plan B: throw fire at stuff until it went away.

In lieu of that, she started opening letters.  As Ming said, it was all the same old thing.  Korra created two stacks for the letters she’d answer and the ones her form letter would.  The latter pile grew depressingly high until she was finally down to one more envelope.  Inside was a one page letter, written in strong, masculine handwriting.

_‘Honorable Avatar Korra,_

_I humbly request your presence at my family’s wintertime celebration on the evening of the first day of the season.  On this day, I will ask the love of my life to become my wife, and it would truly be an honor if you would preside over us…’_

Korra skimmed the rest of the letter.  It was signed at the bottom, and while the name made her eyebrows quirk up, it was hardly enough to earn it a spot on her ‘to answer’ pile.  She folded it and stuffed it back into the envelope.  She met resistance, and nearly ripped the letter down the middle trying to force it in.

“What the heck…”

Korra felt a thickness in the envelope.  There was something else in there that she’d missed.  She turned it upside down and shook out another slip of paper, smaller and thicker than the last.  Korra was met with the photographic image of a happy, youthful pair smiling at the camera.  The man had his arm around the woman, her head pressed into his chest.  Alone, it was nothing special; just another lovey dovey couple.  Korra remembered being like that once.  The years meshed together until she couldn’t tell one from another, but far from reminiscing about the past, Korra couldn’t tear her eyes away from the photo.  Something about it ignited a spark of recognition in her.  This couple was just so familiar, almost as if she’d met them before.

Almost as if they were…

“Ming!”  Korra shouted  “What’s my schedule for the celebration of winter?”

A pause as Ming consulted her planner.  “You’ll be having dinner with the Republic City officials and overseeing the opening of a new dock system.”

Boring.

“Cancel all of that, Ming,” Korra said, still looking at the photo.  “There’s been a change of plans.”

**

With her entourage trailing behind her, Korra led the way through the non-descript village in the heart of the Fire Nation.  She had tasked Ming and her team with taking care of things back home while she was gone.  Ming made no objection, but Korra heard her muttering to herself about all the apology letters she’d have to write and politicians she’d have to kowtow to.  Korra really didn’t know why she let that sort of thing fly.  Thirty years ago, she would have just earthbended them all out on their asses.  Maybe age really had softened her.

She followed the directions provided by a shopkeeper, to the stately home on the outskirts of town, across from a vast, grassy field and the most beautiful burnt orange sunset.  The firebender in Korra marveled at the powerful rays this area got. It was no wonder her letter writer was reported as being the most powerful bender around.

The party was in full swing by the time they got there.  Guest danced to scratchy, tuneless pounding that young people apparently called music nowadays.  They all fell silent as Korra stood at the threshold of the yard.  She put on a smile, the ‘wise old Avatar’ one she used for such occasions.  It looked pretty good if she did say so herself.

“Hello, everyone,” she said.  “I received an invitation to this gathering.  I hope it’s not too late to accept.”

“It’s not!”  a male voice declared.

Korra lost her breath.  There he was.

He was tall and handsome, with windswept black hair and warm golden eyes like molten lava.  He was not as muscular as she expected, but still leanly built with powerful arms.  She tried not to stare too hard at his face, at the perfect, unmarred skin around his eyes.  Even without it, he looked just like all the images she’d seen in her scrolls.  So much so, that she’d almost think he had traveled forward in time from the past.

“Thank you for coming, Avatar Korra,” he said, lowering his eyes in a show of reverence.  “I can’t tell you how grateful I am.”

“Then show me by getting your lady to say yes,” Korra said with a friendly clap on his shoulder.  He hadn’t been expected it and gave a tiny ‘oof’.

“Right, of course.  I should introduce you.”

He nodded at a woman in the crowd.  Korra didn’t need to ask; she knew right away which one it would be.  It couldn’t have been anyone but the girl by the lanterns, shyly beaming at her lover.  Like him, she wasn’t exactly a dead ringer.  She was a little taller and wider at the hips.  Her hair was cut short like Korra’s had once been.  The resemblance came down to the eyes and the smile.  The way she moved, and the way she looked at him.

Many years ago, Korra had been a girl their age, and in the final moments of Fire Lord Zuko’s life, her former waterbending master had looked at him in just the same way.  What she saw now lacked the bittersweet sorrow of what could have been.  Now, it would be.  Korra knew deep inside, with every fiber of her being.

Avatar Aang must be smiling down from the spirit world, happy because they were happy.

“Now that our final guest is here,” the young man said to his beloved.  “There’s something I want to ask you, Kya.”

He dropped to one knee.  This was a new tradition that Korra honestly found kind of silly, as was presenting a betrothal necklace to the potential bride in a box.  Why not just hand it to her?

“Iroh,” the woman breathed with tears in her eyes.  

Then she was in his arms, kissing him soundly as their family and friends applauded.  The celebrations began again with greater fervor.  As he held his fiance close, the young man met Korra’s eye and mouthed, ‘Thank you.’

“Let the spirits bless this union,” Korra said.

She wouldn’t need to do any meditation exercises tonight.  She’d go to bed peaceful, knowing that all was right in the universe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought about just outright naming them after Zuko and Katara, but then I thought that would be too heavy handed, so I didn't.
> 
> Also, Korra is the widow of whoever you ship her with.


	3. Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm late today, but here it is!

Katara didn't like weddings.

Well, maybe that wasn't the right way to put it. She was indifferent to weddings on their own. They were a lot of hassle and overly meticulous planning. Even the so-called 'simple' ceremonies, in her experience, were wrought with schedules slips and petty problems over getting the right napkins on the table, or making sure the bride's headdress had exactly twelve feathers on it.

Granted, she had only been to three weddings in her life, not really enough to make a fair judgement, but those three weddings stuck out well enough in her head that she didn't really have a choice in the end.

The first had been Sokka and Suki's. A short affair on the shore of Kyoshi Island that nevertheless was almost ruined when Sokka attempted to express his love for Suki by riding a giant koi fish all the way to the altar. Unfortunately, he wasn't as good a rider as Aang was, and he took his vows soaking wet, with sand in his mouth and a bruised ego.

Then there had been Ty Lee's wedding. Katara didn't even know why she'd been invited to that one. Sure, they weren't enemies anymore, but she and Ty Lee weren't exactly friends either. That one had gone pretty smoothly, up until Ty Lee's circus troupe started their act in the middle of dinner and almost destroyed the banquet hall. At least everyone else seemed to enjoy the spectacle. Ty Lee wasn't even angry.

But nothing could've been more painful than the third wedding. Five years after she and Aang called it quits for good, she got to sit in the front row and watch him join together in matrimony with the love of his life. Toph had been beautiful, in a long flowing dress for once, with bare feet digging into the mud as she dipped a startled Aang low and planted one on him. Katara had clapped and laughed through her tears, the last she would ever shed for the love she had lost.

Once upon a time, it could've been her up there becoming Aang's wife, but that time had passed. If she was honest with herself, it never would've worked between them anyway. Her time with Aang had been peaceful, a quiet three years after a chaotic coupe of months during which they almost single-handedly ended a war. At first, that calm had been good for her, until the day came when she realized that all there was was calm between them. They never fought about anything, their kisses also soft and gentle without fail. Conversation trailed off after a only a few words spoken. It took them time to realize what the problem was; the peace that Katara enjoyed at the beginning was beginning to suffocate her. It was the same exact thing with them all the time. They just didn't have that fire that the other needed. Aang needed someone like Toph to give him a teasing remark when he needed it, and pull him along down the path when he hesitated.

And Katara needed… well, she needed something, that was for sure.

At least for today, the one thing she needed most was some alone time. That was why she was in the courtyard of the Fire Nation's palace, shaded by the reaching tree branches. Katara closed her eyes and heaved a sigh. She shut away the lingering regret over Aang as she had time and time again. It had faded over time, and someday, she knew, it wouldn't trouble her at all. She couldn't wait for that day to come.

She knew when she wasn't alone anymore. Whoever was coming probably wasn't a servant or child. They'd know better than to disturb one of the Fire Lord's honored guests for anything other than meal time, and dinner wasn't for another few hours. The newcomer sat down next to her, their hand close to brushing hers, and Katara's heart jumped for no reason.

"It's a nice day out," Zuko said.

"Mmm-hmm," Katara nodded.

Once more there was silence, stretching over them like a warm blanket.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

Silence again, longer this time. And thicker. It almost made Katara open her eyes and look at him, but she wasn't ready to yet.

"Mai got married."

Now she did. She looked at Zuko and saw something one could mistake for impassive, but up close, his eyes were dark and heavy.

"When was that?" she asked.

"About a month ago," he said. "I was at the wedding. He's a good man. They work well together. I could tell Mai was happy with him, and I'm glad she is."

"That's good," Katara said, relaxing again. "Real good… sometimes, that's the best you can hope for."

"Yeah, I know."

For the third time, they were quiet, and for the first time, Katara didn't want them to be.

"Zuko…"

His eyes flicked to her. "Yeah?"

But Katara didn't know what to do next. She had to say something, but her tongue was tied up in knots, and no words would come out.

"I just, um… I just…"

"Do you remember that promise we made?"

Katara blinked. "What promise?"

"You know, at your birthday party five years ago, after you and Aang broke up."

Katara mulled over his words, and the answer came to her in a flash. She did remember that. It had been out on the balcony, when everyone else was inside dancing.

**

_Katara didn't feel much like drinking tonight. How sad it was that at her own birthday party, she didn't feel like celebrating. The party just didn't feel complete as it was. Everyone she knew and loved was there, with the notable exception of one important person._

_Not that she didn't understand Aang's logic that he should stay away this year. Since they'd just resolved to end their romance and go back to a normal friendship, it seemed right for them to have a little space to let everything sink it before they worked on the 'just being friends now' part. That didn't make the hole in her chest any smaller, or less painful._

_"Katara? Are you coming back inside?"_

_It was Zuko, his longer hair blowing in the wind as he stepped out to join her. Katara would have much preferred to be left alone with her thoughts, disheartening as they were, but she moved to give Zuko room anyway._

_"I'm just thinking about things," she said._

_"About Aang?" Zuko asked._

_Katara cursed him under her breath. He always did things like that. How was that he had figured her out so well in just a few years when her own brother still didn't get it a lot of the time?_

_"I'm over Aang, really," she said._

_"I see." He wasn't convinced._

_"I mean, you and Mai broke up a few months ago, you get it," she said. "It hurts for a while, and then you get over it. You find someone else. I just have to find someone else, and I'll be fine, right?"_

_"Maybe." Zuko's eyes became downcast. "At least you get the luxury of waiting for the right person. I have so many councilmen breathing down my neck to get married as soon as possible. I don't know how long I can keep putting it off."_

_"You'll find a way," Katara said. "You always do."_

_He smiled at that. They looked out at the horizon. Most other homes were dark at this time, and the stars were breathtaking._

_"What if we make a deal," Zuko said after a time._

_"A deal?" Katara furrowed her brow. "What kind of deal?"_

_"Sort of… a marriage pact," he said, looking a little too pleased at her gobsmacked expression. "Not right now, I don't mean. I was just thinking, if neither one of us finds someone else before we're… over thirty let's say, then we'll just get married."_

_"You and me?" Katara wanted to raise quite a few objections to that, starting with the fact that they were friends and they should both know how badly that sort of thing could end up. There were some more issues to raise, but she was most concerned with that one. That one should have been obvious to Zuko before he opened his mouth._

_"I think it would be good," he said. "The council would like it because it would foster better relations with your tribe, and we're already friends, so we know we can get along."_

_"You're saying, we should just settle down with each other." Katara turned it over in her head, and when he put like that, it didn't sound all that bad. "Assuming one of us doesn't fall in love with someone else first."_

_"Right," Zuko said. He held out a hand to her. "Only if we're both still alone. Deal?"_

_Katara appraised him carefully, his tentative smile and the glow around him from the light of the party inside. She cupped her fingers around air, drawn for a moment to Sokka and Suki passing an open window, in each other's arms like they belonged there._

_"Okay, deal," she said, and they shook._

**

"Oh yeah," Katara said, shaking her head. "I'd completely forgotten about that."

"It's been a long time," said Zuko.

"And I just turned thirty." Katara played with a long blade of grass until it snapped out of the dirt. "Are you seeing anyone?"

"No one in particular," he said, calmly like it had been rehearsed. "You?"

"Nope." She closed her eyes again. "Nobody seriously since Aang."

"Yeah, me neither," he said. "Since Mai, I mean. Not Aang. Obviously."

Katara giggled into her hand. Some things never changed, even after fourteen years leading a nation.

"I guess that means we should keep our promise," she said.

"Only if you want to."

"It wouldn't be so bad, right?"

"Right," Zuko said. "We're still good friends."

"Yes, we are." Katara would wager they were even closer now than they had been then. "And we trust each other."

"And the council would love it."

"And my dad would love it."

"Your dad likes me?"

"Oh, he thinks you're the best. He loves it when you visit."

She placed her hand over his. It was warm and brimming with strength, just like hers. They sat together, comfortable, but not too comfortable.

"So you think it would work?"

Katara squeezed his fingers lightly, mildly thrilled when he squeezed back.

"What did you think about the meeting yesterday?" she asked. "That guy who tripped and tore his robe half off. That was hilarious."

They spent the rest of the night under the tree until dawn talking. Just talking. Needing nothing to keep the conversation going into the wee hours.

Whatever happened between them from here, Katara knew it was going to be great.


	4. Lilacs

The Hundred Year War had come to an end. Katara knew that it had; she'd been there to help stop it after all. Aang defeated Ozai in battle, and now Zuko sat upon the throne as the Fire Lord. While he worked to foster good relations with his fellow nations, Katara stood at his right hand, ready to face the innumerable challenges with him. As the official goodwill representative from the Southern Water Tribe, and unofficial adviser to the Fire Lord, she was tasked with attending peaceful summits on the farthest corners of the globe. Over the past year and a half, they had been to some of the hottest points on earth, and to places so cold that even Katara couldn't take it.

That was why this weekend should have been a breath of fresh air for the both of them. They were just meeting with a group of Earth Kingdom nobles in a village north of Omashu. The weather was cool for spring, but not out of the ordinary. Katara could wear her regular clothes and didn't need to bring rations with her if she went out for a walk _just in case…_

The problem was less with the town and more with its people. They were all perfectly kind and accommodating, except when it came to their rather strict customs. Katara had barely said hello to their host before she was ushered out the door by a horrorstruck servant. Apparently, she had stepped inside right foot first, and since it was neither past noon nor a Wednesday, that was incredibly rude.

After that, it was eating lunch before breakfast and going out to catch three fireflies and hang them over the bed. The latter was pretty fun, once Katara stopped asking questions and started running with the kids. And it promoted happy dreams, or so the townspeople believed.

She took a walk through the gardens following the ceremonial release of last night's fireflies. It was almost dinnertime, but Katara was still full from lunch-breakfast. Zuko joined her, wishing to take in the natural beauty of the Earth Kingdom's greenery, or so he said. Katara was pretty sure he was more interested in avoiding the town leader's fifty year old sister, who kept making allusions to her unmarried status while eyeing Zuko hungrily.

"I can't wait to go home," he said. Somewhere behind them, a mannish sounding female voice was calling his name. Telling him not to hide from her like a naughty boy.

"Don't let them hear you say that," Katara said. "It's not very polite."

"That's why I waited until no one else was around."

He followed her around a row of shrubberies, his ardent admirer's voice fading in the distance.

"If it helps, I am also about ready to get out of here."

"Really? You seemed like you were having a good time."

"Well, the villagers are friendly, and catching fireflies was fun, but I'm getting tired of the twenty minute prayer rituals before dinner."

The food here was absolutely delicious, some of the best Katara had ever had, but there was nothing worse than having a full plate in front of her, the haunting aroma of freshly cooked meat and vegetables wafting through the air, and being unable to so much as touch it until their host completed a lengthy prayer of thanks for their bounty.

"You think we could make an excuse to leave early?"

"I don't think Iroh would let us, unless we distract him with tea."

They both laughed at the thought of sneaking away on tip tops while Iroh happily sipped his tea, none the wiser to their treachery. As if that was even possible. More likely, they'd get caught at the door and spend the rest of the evening listening to Iroh cheerfully remind them that ignoring their duties was children's behavior, not that of a Fire Lord or a master bender turned diplomat.

They strolled along through a maze of hedges, past a bed of flowers that turned up to the sky. The vibrant colors caught Katara's eye, but they were nothing compared to the bushes springing up out of the ground, bearing small, purple flowers that seemed to beckon her on.

"Look at these! They're so beautiful."

"They're nice," Zuko said.

He waited while Katara admired the flowers. The dinner bell rang at the bottom of the hill, but it fell on deaf ears. Katara would happily stay right here in this garden with Zuko until the sun went down. Or at least until twenty minutes had passed and they could actually eat when they wanted to.

A shade of red filled the side of her vision as Zuko stepped forward. He plucked a smaller bunch of flowers from the bush. With a shy smile, he presented them to her.

"So you can have them when we leave. I don't think these grow anywhere in Fire Nation."

Katara took the flowers and held them close to her chest.

"That's sweet of you, Zuko," she said, "but are you sure it's okay to just take these?"

"The garden is open to the public, and people pick flowers all the time. I'm sure nobody will mind."

The dinner bell rang again, more insistently. It seemed they wouldn't be able to get out of the 'ceremony of thanks' after all. They made small talk as they retraced their steps out of the garden. Descending the hillside, a group of children had lagged behind and were kicking a ball around. One of them was their host's son.

"Hello, Fire Lord, Master Katara," he said, inclining his head in respect. He stopped short of whatever he was going to say next as he caught sight of the flowers in Katara's hand. "Hey, where did you get those?"

Katara hesitated. She traded glances with Zuko, to see that he was no less taken aback by the non-sequitur.

"Er- Zuko gave them to me. Is that all right?"

The boy's eyes bugged out. He drew in a breath, and Katara feared he might call for someone to come and reprimand them for their slight.

"FATHER! THE FIRE LORD HAS GIVEN MASTER KATARA LILACS!"

The back door to the large house swung open, as did every door and window of the surrounding houses. Countless faces poked out of them, eyes firmly planted on Zuko and Katara. A horrified screech came from Zuko's admirer, who dissolved into hysterical tears and ran out of the yard. Before either of them could speak or demand to know what was wrong, their host rushed at them.

"Did he really? Did he-" He gasped and grabbed Katara's hands, staring at the gently battered flowers like they were a sacred religious relic. "Oh my goodness. By the gods, I never expected this to happen."

"Excuse me, sir." Zuko said. "If we've done something to offend you, please know that we're very sorry and will do whatever we can to make it up to you."

"Offend me?" Their host laughed. "Your majesty, you must be joking. How could I be anything but overjoyed on such an occasion? Imagine, the Fire Lord himself getting married in my home."

He picked his son up and swung him around in glee. The townspeople amassed to express their happiness and congratulations to the new couple. All the while, Zuko and Katara could do little more than stare wordlessly at each other.

"Did he just say married?" Katara asked.

Zuko looked relieved. "Oh good, you heard it, too. I thought I hallucinated that."

A warm hand rested on Katara's shoulder. The other was on Zuko's, as Iroh appeared between them.

"The customs of this village continue to surprise, Nephew," he said. "It seems that to give a woman lilacs here is to express undying love for her, and it is used as part of the wedding ceremony."

"But Zuko didn't mean it like that," Katara said. "He just picked them for me because I liked them."

"It'll be hard to convince them of that," he said. "I've just heard they are already planning a grand feast to celebrate."

"So now they think we're married." Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Just when I thought I wasn't going to mess this up."

"Now, Nephew, you shouldn't speak that way in the presence of your wife." The old man chuckled at his joke, even as Zuko looked like he was about to shoot fire out of his nose.

"It's only a marriage as far as these people are concerned, right?" Katara said. "I mean, once we go home, it doesn't count. We could just pretend this never happened."

"You could," said Iroh thoughtfully, "but if I may say, if you decided to give it a try, nobody would object. Least of all me."

Iroh wandered away to shake hands with their host and talk to him about what they should serve at the grand wedding banquet tomorrow night. Suddenly everyone was coming up with ideas for fabulous wedding dishes and throwing them out over each other. One could've easily forgotten that the unlikely guests of honor were even there at all.

"He didn't mean that," Zuko mumbled.

"Of course not," said Katara.

She looked away, down at the flowers still clutched in her hand. She placed them carefully in her pocket, with enough space to prevent them from flattening. For all that it had brought about, she was glad she had them.

And if she was honest with herself, she was glad it was Zuko who gave them to her.


	5. Fever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this and Day Two are tied for my favorites this year.

Getting Zuko and Katara drunk was a great idea. Toph stood by that.

Sokka might not agree, but he was just being a pansy, so Toph didn't care what he said. The only downside was that Aang wasn't around to see it. Getting to watch his best friend and ex-girlfriend stumble around and randomly paw at each other was bound to get a reaction out of him. Probably a heart attack, or an aneurysm.

Actually, maybe it was a good thing Aang was hanging out with the Air acolytes this week. She wouldn't want to kill the poor guy.

So with only herself, Sokka, and Suki to bear witness to this moment of glory, she had to make due with their criminal lack of enthusiasm for the show.

"You went way too far with this drinking game thing," said Suki. She pulled her knees up under her chin as Zuko tripped over an upturned footstool and nearly slammed into her.

"What makes you say that?" asked Toph.

Katara had hobbled over, seemingly intent on helping Zuko get back on his feet. In her inebriated state, however, she seemed to have forgotten how exactly to do that. She resorted to grabbing Zuko by the ankle and dragging him up as high as she could reach. His face was smushed into the floorboards, but he only laughed and slurred something about seeing an ant crawling between the cracks.

"Just a guess," Sokka deadpanned.

He got up and went to pull the two of them apart. In his concern for his sister, he failed to catch Zuko before his body hit the floor. Unable to process the pain, Zuko rolled over onto his back.

"Sokka…" he said. "Sokka… are you there?"

"What is it, Zuko?"

Zuko's glazed over eyes rolled onto him. Or somewhere near him at least.

"See that lantern? It's got fire in it."

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Sokka… I can make that."

"I know, Zuko."

"I can make it in my hand. With my head."

"Everyone knows that, buddy."

"Okay. Just checking."

Katara was no better off. She hadn't spoken -possibly couldn't- but everything appeared to be hilarious to her all of a sudden. As she fumbled around the closed in space, she had laughed hysterically at Toph's headband, a crack in the wall she thought was shaped like Momo, a broken water jug, and an empty corner of the room, in that order.

"That's- lookit tha-" she said, pointing at nothing. "Tha- tha's the funniest thing."

"Katara, for the last time, there's nothing there!"

"Tha's why it's funny!"

"Yeah, Sokka," Toph shouted from the table. "Get with the program."

"Would you stop encouraging her?"

He tried and failed to get Katara away from the corner. From what Toph could figure, he wanted to coax her into bed so she could sleep this off and turn back into her normal Sugar Queen self by tomorrow. Just like him to act all responsible as if he wasn't the one that got high on cactus juice that time. The only reason she hadn't challenged him to a drinking contest was because it would be boring. She already knew what kind of drunk he was.

"Relax, would you?" Toph said. "They're both fine. They needed this anyway. Maybe they'll finally loosen up and stop with the 'just friends' schtick."

"Toph, if I find out you did this to get Zuko and Katara together-"

"You'll what? Throw a stick at me?"

"Guys, please don't fight," Suki said. "Let's just make sure they don't hurt themselves and try and get them out of here."

She went to help Sokka with Katara, leaving Toph to listen to Zuko's amazing revelations that he was, in fact, a firebender.

"It just comes out of my fingers."

"Uh-huh."

"First it's not there, and then it is there."

"Yup."

"Can you do that, Toph?"

"Nope."

"Oh… okay."

Katara's shrieking laughter had ceased, and her feet left the ground as she was hoisted up on her brother's arm. At one point, Sokka's steps faltered, and Katara rolled off of him, landing near Zuko.

"Zuko! Hi Zuko! You look funny!"

"Katara… did you know I can make fire?"

"Oh, you make fire all right," Katara said. "You make _my_ fire."

Wow, this was going better than Toph expected.

"It's _light_ my fire, Sugar Queen."

"Right. What Toph said. You light my fire. We'd make really hot fire together, Zuko."

"That'd be good. We should do that. We should make fire together."

"So much fire that we get a fever from it!"

"We should do that thing where two people do everything together. What was that thing called?"

"You mean married?"

"Yeah, that! Let's do that."

"Okay!"

"Okay!"

They cemented the promise with a huge, sudden, slobber heavy kiss that was more like two dogs trying to eat each other's faces off than anything else. Toph could hear their lips smacking together and feel them rolling around as one. Sokka immediately lost all higher brain function and started making garbled noises vaguely akin to speech. Suki tried her best to snap him out of it, but Toph doubted he'd get much better unless he poured bleach into his ear to erase this entire night from his memory.

Either way, Toph's stance hadn't changed. Getting Zuko and Katara drunk was definitely the best idea she ever had.


	6. Coffee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't read the comics, and I don't plan to, so this story ignores the events of the comics.

"Does it taste all right?"

"Hm?" Katara's head snapped up. She'd been staring at her mug for so long, Ursa feared she might've fallen asleep. "Oh, yeah. It's good."

Ursa stirred a small cube of sugar into her coffee. She took a sip and frowned. This brand was new to her -as the drink itself was new to the world- and she could never get it sweet enough. She made a note to switch back to her old brand post haste and set the mug down.

"So you wanted to talk to me about Zuko."

"Yeah," Katara said, clearing her throat. "Um… you see, Zuko and I have been together for a while, and it's been great. Zuko is amazing. The best man I've ever known."

Ursa smiled. Her son had grown into a fine man indeed, and he had found love with such a wonderful woman. Though she lamented that she hadn't been there to see it herself, she thanked Agni that the war was over and that now she was free to watch over her son as he grew into his new role of Fire Lord.

"And I've known for a long time that he's the one I want to spend my life with, so that's why I wanted to ask you… since I already know Iroh approves."

Approves? More like 'already planning the wedding'.

"Is it customary in the Water Tribe for women to propose to men?" Ursa asked.

"Not really," said Katara nervously. "It's just that I'm afraid Zuko won't ask me. We've talked about it before, but I think he's worried I'll say no."  
  
**

"It's not that Katara will say no."

Hakoda hummed as he appraised the young man before him. Zuko was stirring yet another sugar into his coffee, much to Hakoda's bemusment. If it wasn't sweet enough now, he didn't know why the kid bothered.

"She'll probably say yes," Hakoda agreed.

"But I know it isn't as simple as that."

"Oh?"

"This isn't just about me and Katara," said Zuko. "I know what the war has cost you, and you have every right to want nothing to do with me-"

Stuff like this made Hakoda want to smack some sense into Zuko. He'd been Fire Lord for years now, and he'd done so much to help rebuild the world and restore livelihood to the bereaved populace. And sure, Hakoda was never going to have anything but contempt for Ozai, but Zuko had more than proven himself to be a good man. He wasn't his father's son, and while Hakoda couldn't have imagined that a nation's ruler of all people would be the one to hold his daughter's heart, he didn't have any objections.

"I just don't want to be responsible for more heartbreak. I don't want her to have to choose between her family and me."  
  
**

"It's not like I'd lose anything from marrying Zuko," Katara said.

"Of course not," said Ursa.

"My father likes him. He's not nearly as tough with him as he was when I was dating Aang."

"You were much younger then, weren't you?" Ursa asked. "Perhaps he worried that the Avatar wouldn't know yet how to treat a woman."

Katara snorted. "Aang couldn't be like that if he tried, but I get what you're saying. I wouldn't be surprised if my dad already thinks of Zuko as a friend."  
  
**

"I hope that you and I can be friends, sir," said Zuko. "Or at least that you can accept me as part of your family."

 _'You'll have to open your mouth and ask her first,'_  Hakoda thought.

"I don't have a problem with that," Hakoda said. He paused to take a sip of his coffee. The bitterness was an acquired taste, but it was growing on him slowly. "Thank you for coming to me first."

Zuko had drank down half of his mug and he looked much more alert as he nodded his head.

"Let me just ask you one thing," Hakoda said seriously. "If I said no to you right now, are you going to propose to her anyway?"  
  
**

"Katara, I just want to know one thing," said Ursa.

"Yes, okay," said Katara, a little too quickly now that she'd taken a few sips of her coffee.

"If I didn't approve of you and my son, would you still intend to marry him?"  
  
**

"Honestly, sir? I've already made the betrothal necklace."  
  
**

"I love Zuko more than anything, Ursa. I wouldn't let anything stop us."  
  
**

Hakoda smiled.  
  
**

Ursa smiled.  
  
**

Two doors burst open on opposite sides of the wall. Zuko and Katara stepped forth at the same time, catching each other mid-stride as the words came out in a jumbled frenzy.

"Katara, will you marry me?"

"Zuko, will you marry me?"

Then they just stared at each other as it all sunk in, their faces the brightest shade of red imaginable. Unnoticed by them, Ursa went to stand with Hakoda.

"I think they might be perfectly matched."

Hakoda shook his head, but Ursa could see his secret smile.

"That's what scares me," he said. "Want to go got some more coffee?"

"Of course," said Ursa.

They walked down the long corridor out of sight, giving their children the privacy they needed.


	7. Candles

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another great Zutara Week! Thanks to everyone who read this year, and I'll see you in 2017!

They were cornered in the farthest room deep in the heart of the temple. Inside was nothing but rows and rows of candles, burnt out long ago when this place still had life in it. The area was tiny, wall to wall stone and windowless. A crack near the ceiling allow a beam of light from outside, but it was too high up for either of them to reach. Even if Katara stood on Zuko's shoulders, she would fall just short of able to call for help. If only they had Toph. They'd have no problem getting out with her. Without her, they had nothing but their elements and their wits against the final remnants of Ozai's soldiers, who wouldn't take long to track them down.

"Did you see how many there were?"

Zuko pushed a heavy table in front of the door. His legs were shaking like they could give out at any time.

"Five, I think," he said, wiping sweat from his brow. "Maybe seven."

Katara nodded solemnly. "Not the worst we've ever dealt with."

"It's not good either."

He summoned a flame and lit a few of the bigger candles. They provided a dim but acceptable light, glowing gold around the room, revealing it to be even smaller than Katara had thought. Outside, there was running and shouting. Someone barked orders that could barely be heard, but key phrases like 'find them' and 'kill them' and 'no survivors' were all too clear.

"Zuko, do you think the others made it out okay?"

"I hope so."

Zuko pressed an ear into the wall and Katara followed suit. There was more yelling and flames in that direction, and a few crashes like large hunks of rock being thrown around. Either Aang or Toph was putting up a hell of a fight out there.

"I'm sorry, Katara," Zuko said softly.

Katara chuckled in spite of herself. "What do you have to be sorry for?"

"I should've known there were still factions loyal to Ozai," he said. "I thought we weeded them out, but I must have overlooked something. Somehow, they slipped through the cracks, and it's my fault for not seeing it."

He took Katara's hand, lacing their fingers together. Katara allowed it, even though her need for comfort was momentarily outweighed by a desire to whack him over the head.

"Don't start giving yourself a guilt complex over this," she said. "There's no way you could've known. That councilmen who arranged for everyone to meet here, he's the one to blame. He's the traitor here."

"But if I had-"

"Well, you didn't, and it doesn't matter anymore." Katara sighed and closed her eyes. "It isn't your fault, Zuko. This could've happened to anyone. Sometimes we trust the wrong people. Now we've just got to get out of here, go home, and get back to cleaning up the mess."

She opened her eyes to see Zuko's sadness melt away, replaced with a hard look of determination. She'd come to love that look.

"You always know the right thing to say."

Katara squeezed his hand. "It's because I know _you_."

Someone pounded on the door, making the barricade shake and slide a fraction of an inch. The pair assumed battle stances, Zuko with fire in both hands, Katara ready with her water pouch. Rainfall outside gave her a secondary method of fighting. She wouldn't be able to get much through that tiny hole, but every drop counted right now.

The soldiers hit the door again. It sunk inwards, but held strong. That wasn't going to last forever. Katara wagered they'd be under siege after one more good strike.

"You ready?" she asked.

He turned to her, and answered her question with another question.

"Will you marry me?"

Katara's stomach dropped.

Another hit created a long crack right down the middle of the door.

"What?"

A deep voice screamed at them that there was nowhere to hide. They were surrounded.

"If we get out of this-" Zuko paused. "When we get out of this, will you marry me?"

Several voices gathered together, counting down from three.

"Zuko…" Katara whispered. Her hands shook and her heart was racing.

"I mean it," he said, and Katara knew he did. She could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice. He'd never meant anything more than this.

"You'd better," she said, "because when we get out of here, I'm holding you to it."

The door came down with a bang. The enemy swarmed, and they charged fearlessly into battle.

Their friends arrived minutes later, beaten and bruised but victorious, to find Zuko and Katara standing in a circle of fallen men, bathed in the light of the candles. They were locked in a passionate embrace, like they had been born attached, like nothing on earth could ever rip them apart.

And for the rest of their lives, nothing ever would.


End file.
